Friday, March 8, 2013

Millions of Venezuelans, high-ranking politicians and allies of late president Hugo Chavez are expected to mourn the divisive leader at this weekend's funeral, after which Chavez 's body will be permanently displayed at a Caracas museum.

Chavez's body will lie in state for at least seven more days, before being embalmed and permanently displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, Venezuela's interim president, Nicolas Maduro, announced Thursday. Chavez will join leaders such as China's Mao Zedong and Russia's Vladimir Lenin, who are also on permanent display in their home countries.

The opposition has called the plan a political ploy by Chavez's supporters to win votes in the upcoming presidential election brought on by the president's death.

Chavez's body has been lying in state since soon after he died from an apparent heart attack Tuesday. Thousands of Venezuelans have been lining up, waiting hours for a chance to file by their former leader's coffin and pay their respects, said CBC's Tom Parry from Caracas.

"We are tired here, but, we want to see Chavez," one person in the queue told him.

The waiting mourners would burst into cheers whenever a high-ranking politician or member of Chavez's family came to pay their respects.

The government says the long lineups have played a part in its decision to permanently display Chavez's body.